The Big East tournament starts tonight with a couple of battles of league minnows, but the day 1 games should not take away from what should be a loaded tournament. A lot of people are mourning the final Big East tournament as we know it, so I won't do that here. The Big East tournament has provided fantastic basketball over the years and this one should be no different. The quarterfinals on Thursday should feature some dynamite matchups. The weekend games are normally played at a very high level. The Big East tournament has been one of the standout conference tournaments since it's inception. It's going out the same way.
Here is the 2013 Big East tournament bracket.
Before we delve into the teams, let's take a look at the conference leaders. Stats are conference games only. Connecticut players are excluded since UConn is not taking part in the tournament.
Points
- Bryce Cotton 18.9
- Otto Porter 18.1
- Brandon Young 17.2
FT %
- LaDontae Henton 87.7%
- Myles Mack 86.8%
- Davante Gardner 86.3%
3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)
- Bryce Cotton 55 (35.7%)
- Sean Kilpatrick 45 (29.4%)
- Ryan Arcidiacono 40 (36%)
Rebounding
- Gorgui Dieng 10.8
- Jack Cooley 10
- Mouphtaou Yarou 9.7
Assists
- Vincent Council 7.3
- Jerian Grant 5.9
- Peyton Siva 5.9
Assist/Turnover Ratio
- Vincent Council 2.7
- Kyle Smith 2.3
- Peyton Siva 2.2
Steals
- Michael Carter-Williams 48
- Fuquan Edwin 43
- Otto Porter / Peyton Siva 33
Blocks
- Chris Obekpa 60
- Gorgui Dieng 51
- Cheikh Mbodj 47
Here are the team stats for pace, offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency.
Possessions
- DePaul 72
- St John's 68
- Providence 67
- Villanova 67
- Louisville 66
- Marquette 64
- Seton Hall 64
- Notre Dame 63
- Syracuse 63
- Cincinnati 62
- Georgetown 62
- Pittsburgh 62
- Rutgers 62
- South Florida 60
Points Per Possession – Offense
- Marquette 1.07
- Louisville 1.06
- Pittsburgh 1.06
- Notre Dame 1.05
- Syracuse 1.04
- Georgetown 1.03
- Providence 1.01
- Villanova 0.99
- DePaul 0.98
- Cincinnati 0.97
- Rutgers 0.96
- Seton Hall 0.93
- St John's 0.92
- South Florida 0.90
Offensive Efficiency
- Marquette 107.1
- Pittsburgh 106.4
- Louisville 105.6
- Notre Dame 105.4
- Syracuse 104.4
- Georgetown 102.7
- Providence 100.9
- Villanova 99.3
- DePaul 97.5
- Cincinnati 96.7
- Rutgers 95.6
- Seton Hall 93.2
- St John's 92
- South Florida 90.4
Points Per Possession – Defensive
- Louisville 0.90
- Georgetown 0.94
- Pittsburgh 0.95
- Villanova 0.95
- Cincinnati 0.98
- St John's 0.98
- Marquette 0.99
- Syracuse 0.99
- Providence 1.03
- Notre Dame 1.05
- Rutgers 1.06
- Seton Hall 1.07
- South Florida 1.07
- DePaul 1.14
Opponent Offensive Efficiency
- Louisville 89.7
- Georgetown 94.5
- Pittsburgh 94.7
- Villanova 95.1
- St John's 97.6
- Cincinnati 97.7
- Syracuse 99
- Marquette 99.4
- Providence 102.6
- Notre Dame 104.9
- Rutgers 106
- South Florida 106.7
- Seton Hall 107.3
- DePaul 114.4
DePaul is bad defensively is what the numbers are saying.
With the league leaders out of the way, let's take a closer look at each of the 14 teams. We'll go 1-14 because that is easier. After that, I'll feebly attempt to predict the tournament.
#1 Georgetown Hoyas
Record: 24-5, 14-4
RPI: 10
Ken Pom: 13
Ken Pom Offense: 68
Ken Pom Defense: 3
Minutes
- Markel Starks 36.2
- Otto Porter 35.8
- Nate Lubick 30.5
Points
- Otto Porter 18.1
- Markel Starks 13.3
- D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera 11.1
FT %
- Otto Porter 80.7
- Jabril Trawick 75
- D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera 73.1
3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)
- Markel Starks 39 (40.6%)
- Otto Porter 30 (44.1%)
- D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera 27 (36%)
Rebounding
- Otto Porter 7.3
- Nate Lubick 5.6
- D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera 3.8
Assists
- Markel Starks 57
- Nate Lubick 48
- Otto Porter 44
Steals
- Otto Porter 33
- Markel Starks 23
- D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera 19
Blocks
- Mikael Hopkins 21
- Nate Lubick 14
- Otto Porter 13
Why they could win the tournament: They have the best player. Porter's name was in every stat line. They play a style that can translate for 3 days.
Why they could lose: 3 of their 4 conference losses were on the road.
#2 Louisville Cardinals
Record: 26-5, 14-4
RPI: 3
Ken Pom: 3
Ken Pom Offense: 17
Ken Pom Defense: 1
Minutes
- Gorgui Dieng 34
- Peyton Siva 32.3
- Russ Smith 31.2
Points
- Russ Smith 16.6
- Gorgui Dieng 11.2
- Chane Behanan 9.5
FT %
- Peyton Siva 93% (28 attempts)
- Russ Smith 85.4%
- Wayne Blackshear 81.8%
3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)
- Luke Hancock 32 (43.2%)
- Russ Smith 20 (30%)
- Wayne Blackshear 15 (28.8%)
Rebounding
- Gorgui Dieng 10.8
- Chane Behanan 6.5
- Russ Smith 3.9
Assists
- Peyton Siva 106
- Russ Smith 56
- Gorgui Dieng 33
Steals
- Peyton Siva 33
- Chane Behanan 28
- Russ Smith 27
Blocks
- Gorgui Dieng 51
- Chane Behanan 11
- Montrezl Harrell 11
Why they could win: Louisville probably has the best team in the league. They can play any style and thrive because they are suffocating on defense.
Why they could lose: Louisville has some trouble scoring at times, especially if the guards aren't shooting well. Peyton Siva is a very important player who has a propensity for foul trouble. Louisville doesn't have a backup point guard to keep things going when he leaves the game.
#3 Marquette Golden Eagles
Record: 23-7, 14-4
RPI: 11
Ken Pom: 25
Ken Pom Offense: 16
Ken Pom Defense: 49
Minutes
- Vander Blue 33.4
- Junior Cadougan 29.2
- Trent Lockett 28.2
Points
- Vander Blue 15
- Davante Gardner 10.9
- Jamil Wilson 9.3
FT %
- Davante Gardner 86.3%
- Todd Mayo 76.3%
- Vander Blue 74.3%
3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)
- Vander Blue 20 (26%)
- Jamil Wilson 16 (29.1%)
- Todd Mayo 16 (32%)
Rebounding
- Jamil Wilson 5
- Davante Gardner 4.7
- Trent Lockett 4.7
Assists
- Junior Cadougan 72
- Trent Lockett 38
- Vander Blue 35
Steals
- Junior Cadougan 24
- Vander Blue 15
- Trent Lockett 13
Blocks
- Chris Otule 20
- Jamil Wilson 14
- Davante Gardner 12
Why they could win: Marquette has been surprising teams all season. They play a tough style of basketball and can score on just about everyone.
Why they could lose: Marquette never seems to play that well in New York. They are not a great defensive team and not a great 3 point shooting team. Those things could end up catching up to them if they fall behind.
#4 Pittsburgh Panthers
Record: 24-7, 12-6
RPI: 40
Ken Pom: 6
Ken Pom Offense: 10
Ken Pom Defense: 11
Minutes
- Tray Woodall 28.6
- Lamar Patterson 27.6
- James Robinson 24.6
Points
- Tray Woodall 11.8
- Lamar Patterson 10.4
- Talib Zanna 7.3
FT %
- Tray Woodall 80.4%
- James Robinson 76%
- JJ Moore / Dante Taylor 75%
3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)
- Tray Woodall 29 (35.8%)
- Lamar Patterson 20 (32.8%)
- JJ Moore 18 (40%)
Rebounding
- Steven Adams 6.1
- Talib Zanna 5.9
- Lamar Patterson 4.7
Assists
- Tray Woodall 87
- James Robinson 51
- Lamar Patterson 42
Steals
- Tray Woodall 27
- Lamar Patterson 23
- James Robinson 14
Blocks
- Steven Adams 37
- Talib Zanna 10
- Dante Taylor 8
Why they could win: Pitt has a very solid team. They are great defensively and they are very efficient of the offensive end. They own wins over Georgetown and Syracuse, their potential opponents in their first 2 games.
Why they could lose: Pitt has a very tough draw. Beating Syracuse, Georgetown and potentially Louisville would be a very tough task for anyone in the country.
#5 Syracuse Orange
Record: 23-8, 11-7
RPI: 17
Ken Pom: 12
Ken Pom Offense: 25
Ken Pom Defense: 10
Minutes
- CJ Fair 38.2
- Michael Carter-Williams 37.7
- Brandon Triche 35.4
Points
- CJ Fair 15.8
- Brandon Triche 13.9
- James Southerland 13.4
FT %
- Brandon Triche 80.3%
- CJ Fair 78.7%
- Michael Carter-Williams 77.5%
3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)
- James Southerland 29 (32.6%)
- Brandon Triche 23 (25.8%)
- Michael Carter-Williams 18 (29.5%)
Rebounding
- CJ Fair 7.3
- James Southerland 5.7
- Rakeem Christmas 4.6
Assists
- Michael Carter-Williams 103
- Brandon Triche 69
- CJ Fair / James Southerland 16
Steals
- Michael Carter-Williams 48
- Brandon Triche 21
- James Southerland 20
Blocks
- Rakeem Christmas 33
- CJ Fair 25
- Baye Keita 17
Why they could win: Syracuse might have the most talented team in the tournament. If any team could strap it on for 4 days and pull through, it's them.
Why they could lose: Syracuse has not played up to it's talent level. They've lost to Pittsburgh and Georgetown in convincing fashion each time. The Cuse has lost 4 of 5. They don't look great.
#6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Record: 23-8, 11-7
RPI: 44
Ken Pom: 32
Ken Pom Offense: 13
Ken Pom Defense: 94
Minutes
- Eric Atkins 39.9
- Jerian Grant 38.2
- Pat Connaughton 32.6
Points
- Jerian Grant 14.2
- Jack Cooley 12.4
- Eric Atkins 12.4
FT %
- Jerian Grant 77.8%
- Pat Connaughton 73.3%
- Jack Cooley 71.4%
3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)
- Eric Atkins 31 (45%)
- Jerian Grant 30 (34.1%)
- Pat Connaughton 22 (31.4%)
Rebounding
- Jack Cooley 10
- Pat Connaughton 4.8
- Tom Knight 4.1
Assists
- Jerian Grant 107
- Eric Atkins 90
- Pat Connaughton 35
Steals
- Eric Atkins 24
- Jerian Grant 19
- Jack Cooley 11
Blocks
- Tom Knight 22
- Jack Cooley 18
- Pat Connaughton / Zach Auguste 5
Why they could win: Notre Dame plays a slower style and they can execute wonderfully on offense. Their style can frustrate anyone. They have guys who can make shots.
Why they could lose: The Irish aren't very deep so they tend to run into tired legs. They also are bad at defense and normally that's a bad thing against very good teams.
#7 Villanova Wildcats
Record: 19-12, 10-8
RPI: 52
Ken Pom: 49
Ken Pom Offense: 85
Ken Pom Defense: 29
Minutes
- Ryan Arcidiacono 34.9
- Mouphtaou Yarou 31.5
- Darrun Hillard 31.4
Points
- JayVaughn Pinkston 13.4
- Darrun Hillard 12.8
- Ryan Arcidiacono 12.6
FT %
- Ryan Arcidiacono 83%
- Mouphtaou Yarou 79%
- Darrun Hillard 78.5%
3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)
- Ryan Arcidiacono 40 (36%)
- James Bell 29 (35.4%)
- Darrun Hillard 24 (32%)
Rebounds
- Mouphtaou Yarou 9.7
- JayVaughn Pinkston 4.7
- James Bell / Daniel Ochefu 4.2
Assists
- Ryan Arcidiacono 63
- Darrun Hillard 33
- JayVaughn Pinkston 29
Steals
- Darrun Hillard 21
- James Bell 25
- JayVaughn Pinkston 19
Blocks
- Daniel Ochefu 14
- Mouphtaou Yarou 13
- JayVaughn Pinkston 12
Why they could win: Villanova has already knocked off some of the league's big boys. They beat Syracuse and Louisville in back to back games. The Wildcats also beat Georgetown during the Hoya hot streak. They shoot a lot of 3s and those can be game changers.
Why they could lose: Villanova did all of that at home. They do not play their home games at Madison Square Garden.
#8 Providence Friars
Record: 17-13, 9-9
RPI: 84
Ken Pom: 56
Ken Pom Offense: 72
Ken Pom Defense: 58
Minutes
- Bryce Cotton 38
- Vincent Council 33.8
- LaDontae Henton 32.9
Points
- Bryce Cotton 18.9
- Kadeem Batts 14.6
- Vincent Council / LaDontae Henton 10.9
FT %
- LaDontae Henton 87.7%
- Bryce Cotton 79.1%
- Kris Dunn 64.3%
3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)
- Bryce Cotton 55 (36.9%)
- Josh Fortune 15 (30.6%)
- Vincent Council 11 (30.6)
- LaDontae Henton 11 (23.9%)
Rebounding
- LaDontae Henton 8.5
- Kadeem Batts 7
- Kris Dunn 4.7
Assists
- Vincent Council 125
- Bryce Cotton 41
- Kris Dunn 37
Steals
- Vincent Council 27
- Kris Dunn 19
- Bryce Cotton 15
Blocks
- Kadeem Batts 14
- Vincent Council 8
- Kris Dunn / LaDontae Henton 7
Why they could win: The Friars have been a terror on the league ever since the calendar flipped to February. They are 7-2 in that span with wins over Villanova, Cincinnati, Notre Dame and St John's. Plus, 2 of their last 3 losses were to Connecticut in overtime. They don't have to play Connecticut.
Why they could lose: Providence is 6 deep. The tv time outs are a little longer for the tournaments, but with that short a bench and the intensity of the games they will be playing against the high level of competition doesn't seem to fare well for PC.
#9 Cincinnati Bearcats
Record: 21-10, 9-9
RPI: 49
Ken Pom: 39
Ken Pom Offense: 117
Ken Pom Defense: 12
Minutes
- Sean Kilpatrick 36.3
- JaQuon Parker 32.5
- Cashmere Wright 31.3
Points
- Sean Kilpatrick 16.2
- Cashmere Wright 11.8
- JaQuon Parker 10.7
FT %
- Cashmere Wright 84%
- Sean Kilpatrick 77.8%
- Cheikh Mbodj 70.2%
3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)
- Sean Kilpatrick 45 (29.4%)
- Cashmere Wright 31 (27.4%)
- JaQuon Parker 18 (35.3%)
Rebounding
- Titus Rubles 6.1
- JaQuon Parker 4.9
- Sean Kilpatrick 4.8
Assists
- Cashmere Wright 47
- Titus Rubles 35
- Sean Kilpatrick 28
Steals
- Cashmere Wright 21
- Titus Rubles 16
- Sean Kilpatrick 16
Blocks
- Cheikh Mbodj 47
- Justin Jackson 19
- David Nyarsuk 11
Why they could win: Cincinnati plays some great defense. They play a slower pace so they can keep games tight. With the amount of 3 pointers they attempt, maybe some fall late and they start pulling off some upsets.
Why they could lose: Cincinnati is slated to face a bunch of teams that already beat them. The Bearcat offense is the weakest group out of the Big East teams with tournament hopes. They probably can't maintain high level for 4 days.
#10 St John's Red Storm
Record: 16-14, 8-10
RPI: 81
Ken Pom: 98
Ken Pom Offense: 204
Ken Pom Defense: 38
Minutes
- Phil Greene 32.8
- JaKarr Sampson 31.6
- Sir'Dominic Pointer 29.1
Points
- Jakarr Sampson 15.1
- Phil Greene 9.4
- Sir'Dominic Pointer 7.8
FT %
- Sir'Dominic Pointer 72%
- Phil Greene 71.4%
- JaKarr Sampson 64.2%
3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)
- Phil Greene 13 (18.8%)
- Marc-Antoine Bourgault 13 (27.7%)
- Sir'Dominic Pointer 6 (33.3%)
Rebounding
- Sir'Dominic Pointer 6.9
- Chris Obekpa 6.5
- JaKarr Sampson 6.3
Assists
- Sir'Dominic Pointer 51
- Phil Greene 37
- Jamal Branch 36
Steals
- Sir'Dominic Pointer 23
- JaKarr Sampson 21
- Jamal Branch 17
Blocks
- Chris Obekpa 60
- Sir'Dominic Pointer 16
- JaKarr Sampson 14
Why they could win: St John's is hosting the Big East tournament. A win over Villanova and they get the crowd on their side for a Thursday night game against Louisville. They beat the Cards, then play ND or Marquette, who they beat and took to the limit at home. Then they play the title game against Cincinnati, who they beat earlier in the year. Miracle run.
Why they could lose: You'll notice some of the St John's stats seem lacking. That's because leading scorer D'Angelo Harrison is suspended from the team. Hard to win 4 games in 4 days without one of your best players. Even if he is very selfish.
#11 Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Record: 14-15, 5-13
RPI: 109
Ken Pom: 112
Ken Pom Offense: 90
Ken Pom Defense: 154
Minutes
- Myles Mack 30.1
- Jerome Seagears 29.8
- Dane Miller 24..9
Points
- Myles Mack 12.5
- Jerome Seagears 7.8
- Wally Judge 6.1
FT %
- Myles Mack 86.8%
- Jerome Seagears 78.9%
- Dane Miller 61.5%
3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)
- Myles Mack 33 (41.8%)
- Jerome Seagears 25 (41.7%)
- Mike Poole 6 (28.6%)
Rebounding
- Kadeem Jack 5.3
- Wally Judge 4.5
- Dane Miller 4.1
Assists
- Jerome Seagears 52
- Myles Mack 46
- Dane Miller 43
Steals
- Myles Mack 30
- Mike Poole 12
- Jerome Seagears 12
Blocks
- Kadeem Jack 13
- Dane Miller 11
- Wally Judge 10
Why they could win: Rutgers starts off with DePaul, whom they should beat. They could pull off back to back upsets over ND and Marquette. They played them both very tough in the regular season. Then they hope Louisville loses because the Cards held them to a season low 48 points.
Why they could lose: Rutgers is also missing their leading scorer, Eli Carter. Unlike St John's, Carter went down to injury. The only team Rutgers has defeated since January 19 is Seton Hall. Unless Seton Hall makes a miracle run to the finals, Rutgers will not play Seton Hall. Plus, Rutgers was 1 of 2 teams to lose to DePaul.
#12 Seton Hall Pirates
Record: 14-17, 3-15
RPI: 140
Ken Pom: 115
Ken Pom Offense: 144
Ken Pom Defense: 105
Minutes
- Fuquan Edwin 34.2
- Aaron Cosby 34.1
- Gene Teague 28.1
Points
- Fuquan Edwin 15.4
- Aaron Cosby 13.4
- Gene Teague 9.8
FT %
- Aaron Cosby 74%
- Fuquan Edwin 70.6%
- Gene Teague 51.6%
- I didn't count anyone under 21 free throws. SH has 4 players with over 21 FT attempts
3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)
- Aaron Cosby 39 (41.1%)
- Fuquan Edwin 32 (35.2%)
- Kyle Smyth 22 (32.4%)
Rebounds
- Gene Teague 6.6
- Fuquan Edwin 5.8
- Brandon Mobley 4.4
Assists
- Aaron Cosby 60
- Tom Maayan 38
- Kyle Smyth 35
Steals
- Fuquan Edwin 43
- Tom Maayan 17
- Kyle Smyth 12
Blocks
- Fuquan Edwin 12
- Gene Teague 6
- Haralds Karlis 5
Why they could win: The Pirates already defeated USF. They hung with Syracuse and Pitt already this season. Georgetown could lose to Cincinnati, a team Seton Hall played close in the second half. From there, hope DePaul or Nova make the finals because those are the only teams on that side of the bracket they defeated.
Why they could lose: They only won 3 conference games. They are not going to win 5 in 5 days.
#13 South Florida Bulls
Record: 12-18, 3-15
RPI: 137
Ken Pom: 141
Ken Pom Offense: 178
Ken Pom Defense: 120
Minutes
- Anthony Collins 36.6
- Victor Rudd 34.1
- Toarlyn Fitzpatrick 33.4
Points
- Victor Rudd 13.1
- Toarlyn Fitzpatrick 8.9
- Anthony Collins 7.9
FT %
- Anthony Collins 81.8%
- Victor Rudd 76.4%
- Zach LeDay 74%
3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)
- Toarlyn Fitzpatrick 30 (29.1%)
- Victor Rudd 25 (29.1%)
- Jawanza Poland 18 (29%)
Rebounding
- Victor Rudd 6.5
- Toarlyn Fitzpatrick 4.7
- Martino Brock 3.5
Assists
- Anthony Collins 99
- Martino Brock 26
- Victor Rudd 14
Steals
- Martino Brock 25
- Anthony Collins 19
- Jawanza Poland 17
Blocks
- Toarlyn Fitzpatrick 15
- Victor Rudd 12
- Zach LeDay 9
Why they could win: The Bulls could lull everyone to sleep for 5 days with their boring style of play while Victor Rudd goes completely insane.
Why they could lose: They are not going to do that.
#14 DePaul Blue Demons
Record: 11-20, 2-16
RPI: 199
Ken Pom: 155
Ken Pom Offense: 102
Ken Pom Defense: 223
Minutes
- Brandon Young 33.1
- Cleveland Melvin 32.3
- Donnavan Kirk 28
Points
- Brandon Young 17.2
- Cleveland Melvin 15.8
- Jamee Crockett 9.3
FT %
- Brandon Young 75.5%
- Jamee Crockett 75.%
- Worrel Clahar 75%
3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)
- Jamee Crockett 20 (29.9%)
- Brandon Young 16 (29.1%)
- Moses Morgan 15 (31.9%)
Rebounding
- Cleveland Melvin 6.2
- Donnavan Kirk 4.5
- Brandon Young 3.4
Assists
- Brandon Young 84
- Worrel Clahar 60
- Charles McKinney 27
Steals
- Brandon Young 28
- Charles McKinney 20
- Jamee Crockett 18
Blocks
- Donnavan Kirk 23
- Cleveland Melvin 15
- Jamee Crockett 7
Why they won't win: They are DePaul.
Why they will lose: They are DePaul.
Predictions
Tuesday
Seton Hall 63 South Florida 58
Rutgers 69 DePaul 64
Wednesday
Cincinnati 61 Providence 58
Syracuse 72 Seton Hall 59
Villanova 65 St John's 56
Notre Dame 68 Rutgers 60
Thursday
Georgetown 63 Cincinnati 55
Pittsburgh 69 Syracuse 67
Louisville 70 Villanova 61
Marquette 65 Notre Dame 58
Friday
Georgetown 71 Pittsburgh 67
Louisville 73 Marquette 62
Saturday
Louisville 64 Georgetown 63
RPI numbers from RealTimeRPI. Stats from Stat Sheet. Ken Pom from Ken Pom.
